Are You Still Boycotting Target? (And Should You?)
This past June, Target did people with common sense a favor by selling gross merchandise, incl. clothes designed by a satanist and children’s underwear and bathing suits that were actually NOT suited for children.
So we did what most Conservatives did then and decided to boycott Target. At the time, our baby was a few weeks old and we didn’t need anything that we couldn’t get elsewhere, so it was easy.
But then our baby needed formula and one of the two formula brands she prefers/we like for her is only available at Target and on the manufacturer’s website. Fortunately, we set up a subscription on that site so we can get a consistent supply, but on the few occasions we’ve wanted a can or two in the meantime, we’ve ordered it from Target. And if we need something else, then we add it to our order.
We prefer being practical.
But at least we get our Target purchases delivered or via curbside pickup because I’m not looking forward to setting foot inside again.
(I wouldn’t want our kids seeing any odd merchandise and displays they have no business seeing, and then having to answer questions on mature topics.)
As time went on, I began seeing comments from other families admitting that they were no longer boycotting Target or they never did in the first place. Many of these families explained that prices for children’s clothes at Target can’t be beat, or that it’s just the most convenient option for them.
And I get that:
Although Target is neutral convenience-wise for us, we’d 100% shop its affordable selection of kids’ clothes (yes, including its woke Carter’s clothes), along with those at Walmart, over going thrifting*, where prices may be higher, the quality questionable or plain awful, and the time spent looking for specific things can be far greater than simply going online and getting brand new items.
(*We tried thrifting once at a store that many people gave high marks to, and were so disappointed by the low quality of the kids’ clothes available, that we vowed to never go that route.)
Along with boycott-related comments, I saw other parents admit and like other statements along the lines of, “Conservative companies know we’ll go the extra mile–and spend more–for their products and services because our values align with theirs, so they’ll charge more and think we won’t go elsewhere.”
And I think that comment sort of opened my eyes because it made me realize that it’s not worth it or realistic to sacrifice our budget for the sake of our warm fuzzies or pride when a comparable product from a potentially woke company costs much less!
Or as my husband put it when I was considering buying our baby her formula (which is made by a company one could call woke), “Who cares about one’s pride when it could benefit a child?” (And sure enough, it’s not only benefited her, but she actually likes it, which is a huge Plus!)
Another thing is the fact that it’s SO difficult to swap out everything for a comparable product made by a non-woke company.
Not to mention, think of all the waste!
Are you willing to throw out your new container of laundry detergent that you just bought and is from a woke or neutral brand so you have room for this other, smaller AND more expensive container that’s from a Conservative brand?
If you are, then that’s your prerogative. We could afford to, too, but choose not to because.. I’d hate to be so wasteful!
But I don’t see how most Americans could afford to make that decision, and these Conservative brands aren’t helping themselves by forgetting about Middle Class shoppers, which Conservatives in general have always aimed to target in the first place.
Another example of us choosing price over the warm fuzzies was the time I decided to try a new brand of diapers and baby wipes, except I only bought its wipes.
As it turns out, most diaper companies pay for their employees’ abortion trips, but not Everylife. In fact, Everylife actually donates a portion of every purchase to an organization offering pregnancy resources. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I placed an order.
After a few days of using them, I knew they weren’t for us. Here’s the three-star review I gave them:
Though more expensive than our usual wipes, I looked forward to getting these as a way to support the Pro-Life cause. However, once we started to use them, I was unpleasantly surprised at how significantly drier they seem to be than our wipes from Costco, which cost less than 1/2 of what these cost. (Costco’s are 3¢ each, come in more containers w/almost 2x wipes, and are way more moist.. but Everylife’s are 8¢, come with fewer wipes, and are drier.) Not enough bang for our buck, unfortunately, to justify continuing to get them.
Save yourself the money; get more affordable wipes and donate to your local pregnancy resource center instead. We won’t be ordering them again so we’re glad we only got the smaller set.
Yup, we’re your average Costco family that can afford bougie baby products elsewhere but chooses to be practical and buy comparable Kirkland items for a fraction of the cost.
And honestly? I think you should too. Buy the Kirkland or store brand if that’s what you prefer.
Your budget should be your priority, and it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to switch everything they buy.
Yet another example of us being practical and putting our health/wellbeing above our pride has to do with our walking/hiking shoes. Like many, I grew up liking Nike–I thought Nike shoes were the absolute best and I never cared to look elsewhere.
Then Colin Kaepernick happened to Nike, Nike embraced him, and I actually threw my (old, worn out) Nikes to the trash right then. While on the lookout for new shoes, I came across Merrell and wore Merrells for years.
Later on I developed herniated discs and my back was no longer as spry as it had been my whole life. Going on even short walks around the neighborhood became too taxing on my back and it hurt a lot after I was done.
At around that same time, my husband developed plantar fasciitis, and during one of his appointments, he saw his podiatrist wearing Hoka shoes.
So they talked about those Hokas and a few days later we went shopping for a pair for him.
We didn’t know this at the time, but that steroid injection he received that day on his foot so many years ago became THE LAST INJECTION HE GOT FOR HIS PLANTAR FASCIITIS.
(Don’t take the word of a random blogger; we’re not responsible if you buy Hokas and they don’t help you: This is what worked for his plantar fasciitis, so if you’re curious, do your own research and talk to your podiatrist.)
“If those shoes helped his foot,” I thought, “they sure should help my back,” so I decided to buy myself a pair this past Summer, and my husband bought another pair to replace his original Hokas that had a lot of wear and tear.
And WOW, I CAN WALK FOR LONGER DISTANCES WITHOUT ANY PAIN NOW.
(Again, don’t take the word of a random blogger. We’re not responsible if you buy Hokas and they don’t help you: This is what worked for my back, so if you’re curious, do your own research and talk to your orthopedist.)
I don’t doubt Hoka will be the brand of walking and hiking shoes we wear for as long as possible, even though… it’s a woke brand.
Yup: I saw the brand post Pride-related stuff this past June and was half-dismayed and half-“So what?” Because if those dang shoes help his foot and my back, why replace them?
Why fix what ain’t broke?
But just in case you were wondering whether we have switched some things, yes!
An example would be where I now buy my makeup: A’del and Toups & Co. are two Conservative small businesses that make relatively affordable makeup and skincare made with good ingredients.
The latter is located in Alabama, where my husband’s from, which I think is neat. I did a LOT of research to find them and saw they were the only ones that had what I wanted and needed (which was easy considering how infrequently I wear makeup), so it was a no-brainer.
What should Catholics do about woke brands?
There are mixed opinions when it comes to what Catholics should do regarding woke brands–that is, brands that support abortion, “Pride,” critical race theory, BLM, and all other kinds of damaging ideologies.
Some Catholics argue we ought to go out of our way to NOT support those companies: If they hate our values, they argue, why continue buying from them? Others, much like those who never or temporarily boycotted Target, instead prefer the more practical route of shopping from whichever store has what they need.
We’re a combination of both. Take a popular kids couch company, which supports “Pride” every year and occasional drag queen readings to kids. Gross. We have two of its “couches” already but will now buy more from a Conservative counterpart that offers much more affordable options.
But what’s the official Catholic stance on woke companies?
While there isn’t one, this video helped inform my perspective:
Fr. Pine argues that if we don’t intend for our money to be used for abortion travel, for instance, then we can rest assured it’s morally permissible to patronize those companies.
If we shop at my local Kroger, it’s because we genuinely need to buy the food that we need–NOT so that someone can get paid to travel to kill her baby. In other words, OUR INTENT isn’t to kill an unborn child: it’s to feed our family.
It’s this pragmatic point of view that’s given me much assurance when it comes to these devilish companies that I can’t seem to escape:
- We don’t grow vegetables or fruits
- We don’t raise cattle or chickens
- We don’t make our own shampoo and lotions
- We don’t weave yarn or make fabric from scratch
- We don’t print books
- We don’t manufacture our phones (though my husband did build his computer, but he didn’t make the parts himself)
- Etc.
In closing, at some point, we all have to buy something from someone whose opinion or actions we don’t agree with.
I therefore have to emphasize the importance of switching WHENEVER POSSIBLE to companies that we DO agree with, and of swallowing our pride with those we can’t replace, keeping in mind that we’re NOT directly or even intentionally supporting those ideologies we condemn.
What companies are you still–or did you have to stop–boycotting?
